While trying to ignore the horses running in this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival, we examine the lives of two other ‘dark horses’.

Both Australia’s poet Henry Lawson and Russia’s musical master Peter Tchaikovsky, are now thought to have lived secret lives wherein their true sexuality was clothed in mystery, as social pressures confined them to the ‘closet’. We check out the back stories.

Meanwhile the Irish playwright Oscar Wilde (who lived concurrently with Lawson and Tchaikovsky) had his sexuality dragged through the courts in a very public scandal, and ended in gaol.

Birthdays celebrated this week include Sam Sparro Australian gay pop singer (born 8/11/1982), and Megan Mullaly (born 12/11/1958) – the dizzy Karen Walker from the gay-themed TV sitcom ‘Will & Grace’.

We get serious and reflect upon the forthcoming Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Topics like these and some humour every week with Chris, Gordon and Phil.

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